Comedy Spotlight Q&A: Greg Warren

I chatted with comedian Greg Warren about his transformation into a comedian.

Q: Talk about your childhood, where you grew up, etc

I’m from the outskirts of St. Louis. My dad was a math teacher, and my dad was a writer. She was a columnist for a paper in ST. Louis.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a comedian?

Knowing is a tricky one because I had a few false starts. I wrestled in college and got a job with Proctor and Gamble. I was selling Pringles and Duncan Hines cake mixes. My first gig was in a sales territory of mine in Texas. I was transferred a few years later to Ohio and did much more hosting. I was getting better.

I was the ‘middle guy’ for Kevin Pollack one time. He was just coming off of “A Few Good Men.” We had some really good shows. I went back to the office the following week, and just knew I couldn’t keep that up. ::laughs::

Q: Was the transition from the corporate world to the comedy world difficult?

Not really. It would’ve been MUCH harder going the other way around ::laughs:: It wasn’t hard Nick because I had it as a secondary job already, so I had some gigs lined up. I had saved money so I was pretty good for a while. That first year was like a vacation of sorts. Zero responsibilities, just lots of traveling. It was really fun.

Q: What is the most grueling part of being on the road?

Grueling isn’t a term for what I do. There’s NOTHING grueling about it. I’ve seen people with grueling jobs..hell, college wrestling practice was grueling. There are difficulties though.

Q: What was your experience like on “Last Coming Standing?”

I was a little disappointed with how it turned out. I’ve done it a few times. The last time was a few years ago. I made the final 50 or something like that. I thought I could win it. I felt I made some poor choices material wise. Stand up rarely appears on primetime television, so that was cool.

Q: Are you excited about your shows here this weekend at Magooby’s?

Yes! I love the club. Even though Baltimore is East Coast, it has a lot in common with St. Louis. The audiences are diverse and great. I love Andrew Unger who runs the place. Great guy to sit back in the office and talk to.